U.S. embrace Cup, beat records 
TV and lose only to Brazil

According country that bought tickets to the World, the United States has 
about 90 thousand fans in transit and index historical audience in house                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           The NBA is a huge export product. The NFL ends its season with the Super Bowl, a decision that turns an event followed by millions of viewers. The MLB and NHL fans are as fanatical as the most passionate fans of top clubs in Brazil. In the United States, basketball, football, baseball and ice hockey are the opium of the people, but not for a country that until a few years ago much care for football - for them, "soccer" - which American fans have made ​​this World Cup is remarkable for the standards themselves. With the motto "One Nation, One Team", the national team managed to hold fans around the World and showed strength on the screens and in the stands with the 2-1 victory over Ghana on Monday in Natal.

FIFA Fan Fest is taken by supporters of the United States, which followed the victory over Ghana (Photo: AP)

Some figures show the growth of the sport in the United States. In Brazil, the country is second only in number of fans for the home owners. According to data of FIFA, the U.S. bought 198,208 tickets for the World Cup - Argentina, third most frequent, purchased 61 477 entries by the end of the first round of the initial phase. Of course, not all of those tickets are for almost 200,000 Americans - foreigners living in the country also enter the account. Therefore, a more precise number is that of the U.S. Consulate General in São Paulo. According to the organization, 90,000 landed in Brazil in recent weeks, driven by FIFA.

In the first game, the Americans felt close to the heat of the crowd. With cries of "I Believe that we will win" ("I believe we will win"), the Arena das Dunas, turned U.S. home. The goal of John Brooks, who gave the victory over Ghana, made the stadium boil like a deciding game of the NBA or NFL.

- It was amazing the crowd we had at Christmas. Not only Americans, but Brazilians who liked the way we play, our delivery field. I'm sure most will be in every game, not just against Brazil - joked midfielder Graham Zusi.

American fans at the Arena das Dunas in Natal, to debut in the World Cup (Photo: Getty Images)

Who could not come to Brazil thickened the crowd as she could. Company specializes in TV audience measurement, Nielsen released the figures Monday, game day, by a wide margin for USA v Ghana: 7 points were broadcast on cable, in English. A number that represents about 11 million viewers. The sum with the channels that broadcast in Spanish makes that number jump to 15.9 million people.

In broadcast in English, USA v Ghana was the most watched football game in the history of the country, including the quarter-final beating the previous World Cup in South Africa - coincidentally, also against the African team. Overall, counting channels in Spanish, starting in the Arena das Dunas is second only to USA v England, first phase in 2010, which drew an audience of 17.1 million people

- The media around football has grown a lot in the country. Today, channels broadcast in English and Spanish, and football has increasingly fans. Sure, it's been hockey in popularity. Also leads to more public basketball and baseball in some matches. Shows that we are in the right direction - praised the coach of the U.S. national team, Jurgen Klinsmann German.

In Brazil, the U.S. still rely on the help of "American Outlaws," an organized crowd that is present in all official tournaments and friendly matches played by the national team. Theirs is the author of Crying "I Believe that we will win." The group was founded in 2007 and since then travels to where the team play. In Cup, besides Christmas, they will follow the duel against Portugal in Manaus, 22, and Germany, in Recife, the 26th.